5 Hacks Every Butter Lover Needs to Know

Butter can zing up absolutely any dish. Be it butter chicken, veg makhhanwala or your plain old toasted bread, the emulsion of butterfat can instantly transform any meal from drab to fab! Since we owe so many of our favourite dishes to this ingredient, here are some chef-approved tips to master the art of cooking with butter. So, the next time you are in the mood to whip up your preferred dish using a dollop of butter, you can rely on these hacks.

Soften Butter StickIf you forgot to take the butter out of the fridge before cooking, this hack will help you to quickly soften it. All you need to do is heat a glass of water in the microwave. Then, throw the water away and use the warm glass to cover the butter stick. The glass will trap the steam which will warm the butter.

Sauce ThickenerThe easiest way to thicken a sauce is to add plain flour but if you want a rich consistency you can always rely on butter instead. Mumbai-based chef Amit Vaidya from Grandmama's Cafe says that adding a slab of frozen butter to any sauce not only helps to thicken it but also gives it a glossy look. Once cooked, adding a bit of melted butter will also stop cream layers from forming.

Searing Without Burning the ButterBurning butter is one of the most common mistakes while cooking. While a slight browning adds a silky flavour and peculiar taste to the dish, it is easy for the butter to go from browned to burned in the blink of an eye thanks to butter's low smoke point. This is why butter is not used for high-heat cooking. To make sure that you do not burn your butter, saute it with half a teaspoon of olive or canola oil.Check out this chicken recipe to see searing technique in action:jwplayer

Turn overly softened butter back to solidYou can revive the melty-messy butter with an ice bath. If you want to bring back the softened butter to a solid form, Mumbai-based chef Salim Mondal of MRP suggests placing the melted butter in a bowl and then keeping it in a bigger bowl filled with ice and water. This will quickly work on the butter to bring it back to a solid form.

Melt butter without a messIf the recipe requires you to melt a huge batch of butter, it is best to use a microwave to avoid making a mess. Monaz Irani, the head chef and founder of Plate & Pint, Kemp's Corner, Mumbai says that breaking the butter into small cubes and then microwaving it is the best way to melt large quantities of butter in an easier way.